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This homemade cake mix is a simple pantry staple that makes baking easier, more affordable, and just as delicious as store-bought. With just a few basic ingredients, you can create a basic cake mix recipe that’s ready whenever you’re in the mood to bake.
Once you’ve got this cake mix on hand, try these 10 Tricks To Make A Box Cake Mix Taste Homemade or 22 Easy Desserts Made With a Box of Cake Mix.
Why you’ll love this basic cake mix recipe!
This basic cake mix recipe is your go-to for creating soft, fluffy cakes anytime. It works beautifully as a yellow or vanilla cake base and can easily be customized depending on what you’re craving.
Once you have this mix ready to go, baking a cake becomes as simple as adding a few wet ingredients and popping it in the oven.
- Made with Pantry Staples: No need for a box—this recipe uses simple ingredients you likely already have at home.
- Quick and Easy to Prep: Just mix the dry ingredients together and store. It takes minutes to make and saves time later.
- Perfect for Gifting: Layer it in a jar, add a cute tag, and you’ve got an easy, thoughtful homemade gift.
- Better Than Store-Bought: You control the ingredients, so it’s fresher and free from unnecessary additives.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- All-purpose flour – The base of the mix that provides structure.
- Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create a tender crumb.
- Baking powder – Helps the cake rise.
- Baking soda – Adds extra lift and balance.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor.
Additional Wet Ingredients for Baking:
- Milk or buttermilk – Adds moisture and richness.
- Oil or butter – Keeps the cake soft and tender.
- Eggs – Bind everything together.
- Vanilla extract – Adds classic flavor.
How to Make and Use Homemade Cake Mix
- Mix: In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients
- Store: Store in a jar with a lid or airtight container.
- Combine with wet ingredients: Mix the dry cake mix with milk, oil or butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Bake: Pour into a greased 9×13 pan or divide into cupcake liners.
- Bake at 350°F: Bake for 20–25 minutes for a cake or 15–20 minutes for cupcakes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and frost: Let cool completely, then frost with your favorite frosting.
Storage
Keep this homemade cake mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This mix works for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more. Any recipe that calls for cake mix will work!
Absolutely. If you want to make a double-layer cake, make and double the recipe.
Yes, simply add cocoa powder to create a chocolate version.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
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Homemade Cake Mix
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup oil vegetable or canola
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make Cake Mix
- In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cups granulated sugar, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Store in jar with lid or airtight container
To Make a 13×9 Cake or 24 Cupcakes
- Combine cake mix and wet ingredients until well combined½ cup milk or buttermilk, ½ cup oil, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour batter into greased 13×9 pan or divide into cupcake liners
- Bake cake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
- Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
- Cool completely and frost as desired
- You can't go wrong with a delicious buttercream frosting – here's my favorite buttercream frosting recipe
Turns out awesome Everytime ty
Thank you, Sarah!
This is by far the best homemade cake recipe that I have come across and I tried a lot. Even my picky teenagers love the cakes that I make from this recipe. Sometimes I substitute some of the milk with pineapple juice when making pineapple upside down cake or lemon juice when making a lemon cake!! When I substitute some of the milk I used heavy cream instead to add a little more moisture. So, it is lemon juice and heavy cream or pineapple juice and heavy cream for the milk portion.
Hands down my favorite recipe!!
Thank you!!!!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Mina! We’re so glad the cake is such a hit in your hope and love that you adjust it to suit your preferences. 😊
Thank you for taking the time to make this! I do not agree with others that say this does not make a full cake mix. An average box of cake mix is anywhere between 15.75 to 16.5 oz. Measuring your dry ingredients matches that range. I do believe that the wet ingredients are not enough to create the volume needed to make a 13×9 cake, 2 rounds, or 24 cupcakes. I “guesstimate” that an additional egg and maybe another 1/2 cup of liquid is needed. I tried this and used 1 cup sour cream with 4 eggs and 3/4 cup of butter. It made a super moist, delicious, and flavorful cake. Homemade is usually better. Again, thank you. 🙂
Thank you for the feedback, Erica! We’re so glad it turned out well for you. 😊
Didn’t understand the note to store the dry ingredients in an airtight container!? What does that mean. And the 13×9 inch pan was to large for not enough batter
I agree about the pan size…my cake is only 1/2 inch tall around the sides.
It says nothing about measurements ?
Never mind it popped up after I made the comment.
I lost an old family recipe of 50yrs ,this is the closest I’ve seen& will try ASAP . Wish me luck 🙏
Can you use this recipe for a chocolate cake also???
Can this be used for long term storage? How would you achieve this?
It’s best used quickly, but the dry ingredients can be stored for up to 3 months.
How many cupcakes can recipe for one that’s listed make… is it equivalent like one box of cake mix? With 2 eggs …
And if you want to mix more for future- how many cups of premixed mix we add to wet ingredients?
Thanks
Great, delicious, needed to make several cake flavors, using other types of various add ons. Going to try a Christmas styles of cakes
This is the best recipe I’ve come across
Amazing and delicious!
This was so simple and I just needed a quick easy cake recipe that was good and this one was perfect.
It was fine, but not the best!🍰
Yeah
Slap my cake, daddy!
Can I use this cake mix to make a dump cake
this really makes a 9×13 pan? Don’t seem like enough flour
This 100% DOES NOT make a 13×9 cake. This volume would do a 8 round or a square. I am not an expert, but I know this is not enough to fill a 13×9 tray because I doubled the recipe intending on making a layer cake. I could tell early that the volume was not enough, and knew for sure when I poured, and then referenced some other recipes. thanks a lot internet. 😉
I agree. I made the recipe as is and it only made 12 cupcakes. Doubled made a perfect 24!
Good day. Do you have this recipe in grams instead of cups?
Here is a cups to grams converter: https://www.convertunits.com/from/cups/to/grams. Hope this helps!
Was awesome better than a box cake homemade the the best easy to do!!
This was very good easy to make loved it better than the box cake!!
If I want to add canned raspberry pie filling to my box cake do I need to adjust any of the liquids!